28 November 2024
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Fianna Fáil Environment Spokesperson Christopher O’Sullivan has welcomed dramatic improvement in Ireland’s climate performance.
The Cork South West candidate added that Fianna Fáil has ambitious plans to tackle climate change, if returned to government.
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)’s latest report ranks Ireland as the 29th best performer on climate change – a jump of 14 places over the past 12 months. The independent monitoring tool uses a standardised framework to compare countries on their climate performance.
Welcoming the progress, the Cork South West candidate said: “I’m heartened to see the dramatic improvement in Ireland’s climate performance. The CCPI has recognised the 6.8% decrease in emissions in Ireland last year. We’re now ranked 29th on the list of countries having climbed 14 places in the past 12 months. It means that Ireland is now considered among the medium climate action performers worldwide for the first time
“The index also highlight the improvements we’ve made when it comes to solar energy. Our solar generation has almost doubled in one year, due to the success of the Government’s microgeneration scheme, which has seen 16,000 homes receive grants for solar panels.
“We believe that Ireland has the potential to achieve energy independence, and to become a net exporter of renewable energy. To achieve this, we will speed up the delivery of offshore wind farms, selecting an area off the west coast for a floating offshore wind test site by 2026. We will complete vital energy projects, including the Celtic Interconnector and upgrade the national grid to make it more resilient, more reliable, and capable of transmitting offshore energy.
O’Sullivan said that if returned to government Fianna Fail will also invest in ports and support innovative energy solutions.
The party has vowed to create a Minister of State for Energy to oversee the plans.
“There must be a just transition,” O’Sullivan added. “We must bring people along with us on our journey to sustainability.
“Fianna Fáil will make sure we meet our environmental objectives while also guaranteeing a secure economic future for all sectors of society.”